How to find out the car paint number

Every day in the world there are numerous traffic jams and accidents on the roads, due to which car owners can lose paint on their iron horse. Do not forget about microdamages, such as scratches and scuffs. If you like the color of your car and do not want to repaint it completely in a different palette, you must find out the unique paint number for your car.

If you do not catch yourself in time by painting over the damaged areas, the consequences in the form of corrosion will not keep you waiting long. In addition to replacing the damaged area on the car, in addition, you will also have to rid the car of metal corrosion, and this can more than hit your budget and precious time.

Where can I find the paint number of the car

If you don't want to change your car color, you need a small restoration with the same color applied. This is where color matching plays a big role, otherwise the car will look multi-colored and spotty.

At restoring the original color of the car with painting over certain areas, polishing and competent selection of enamel are always needed. Professionals in this field recommend painting over the entire damaged area, and not a single point. For example, if the paint on the side of the hood has peeled off, you need to repaint the entire hood, etc. Finding the paint number for your car is not difficult, as it might seem at first glance.

Having a domestic car, the paint code does not need to be searched for a long time:

  • it may be in the warranty card,
  • under the tailgate
  • hood cover.

Classic "Retro" style cars have special codes elsewhere, under the seat and under the spare tire. Find the treasured paint code - means to find a unique number and of. factory name rolled into one. Owners of foreign cars are less fortunate, they will need to look for a digital and / or letter designation at the same time.


For foreign cars, paint codes can be located in the following places:

  • car side racks
  • in the space under the hood
  • in the front right side of the wheel arch of the car
  • under the tailgate
  • under the spare tire
  • in rail
  • on the bulkhead under the hood
  • on the radiator front

Drivers can find the desired code on the information plate after the word "Color", and in the absence of this word, take into account the numerical designations from three characters. The numbers found are the desired code. As you can see, there should not be any difficulties with the search, you just need to carefully inspect your car so that nothing escapes your gaze.

Additional difficulties of car painting

Enamel for painting a car is based on additives, a pigment, a base, and a solvent. You need to look carefully at the chosen shade, because by choosing it incorrectly, you can get a two-tone car and waste money from your budget. On this, the difficulties of the driver have not yet left, but, on the contrary, are added. Due to prolonged exposure to UV light on the paint, the color of the car may change and you should already look for the original color that was applied at the factory.


The original color scheme of the car can be determined:

  • finding a sticker on the body
  • with the help of consultation with the seller in the salon
  • with the help of a professional colorist in a car service
  • by turning to the Internet to search for special programs
  • by finding the VIN number

What is a VIN number

Finding such a number is not a problem, it has the ISO 3779 standard. The metal plate with the VIN is fixed on the car body and cannot be removed from there without deforming it. You can find a black metal plate with various designations, including the coveted number, at:

  • passenger's left pillar
  • bottom of doors
  • next to the engine in the space under the hood
  • in the hole in the windshield


The VIN number you need will not only improve the selection of the desired color, but also has all the necessary data about the car that may be required in case of its sale or overhaul.

The VIN number is nothing more than a paint code from the manufacturer's factory, containing a code of 17 letters and numbers that cannot be removed. After reading the cipher with special equipment, a specialist will select the necessary paint for your car.

If you have difficulty finding numbers and codes, there are specialized automotive sites on the Internet, thanks to which you can select a car of the brand you need from a large list, and then find out where the plates and codes you need are hidden on the body.

  1. when fitting the desired shade, it is important to consider lighting
  2. the colorist needs to specify the number of layers of paint when spraying
  3. the more experience the colorist has, the better the job will be done


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